Leak update

Well, I gave it my best shot but I couldn't pull it off.
I spent a good part of Sunday and most of Monday trying to get the leak fixed - I thought I had it on Sunday, when I listened to the guy at the Home Depot when he told me that all I needed was silicone tape.
I dug up the yard, isolated the leak turned off the water to the cul de sac and put the tape on the leak. Covered the hole back up and turned the water back on - all was good until I woke up Monday morning to find that the front yard was a swamp.
So, back to the drawing board I went. Or in this case, back to the Home Depot as soon as everyone had left for the day. I dug up the yard again, and turned off the water. Went back to the Home Depot to return the water key I didn't need, and to pick up the part I thought I did.
Turned out to be too big, so back to Home Depot.
That turned out to be too big also, so back again to Home Depot.
Back again, and this time he assures me that this is it... the correct part.
I've also managed to cut a piece of the pipe in question off, to make sure I'm dealing with the right size for the pipe.
Guess what - no matter what I do, I can't get the piece to work. I'm sure it's something I'm doing wrong, so I go back again and this time get talked into buying a pricier part, but one that he assures me, will work without a hitch.
You guessed it, wrong again.
So now, I'm back at the Home Depot ready to spit nails. It's getting later and later in the day and I'm dying in the heat; not to mention that I'm working on a deadline of getting through before anyone gets home because in order to do this fix, I've had to cut the water for 12 units.
So, that'll be around 22 people coming for my head on a pole if I can't get this fixed before they get home and want dinner, showers, laundry, dishes, etc.
Little late to make this long story short, but crux of the matter is that I ended up surrendering to the inevitable (especially when the last time, I was sure I had the issue resolved except for a minor leak, tried to adjust it and the connection exploded in my face) ...I gave up. I called the Association's plumber of choice, and he came out and repaired the disaster in less than an hour.
Cost? $193.93
And came to find out that I was on the right track and could have handled the issue myself had Home Depot supplied me with the correct part in the first place.
I did learn a lesson though...there really are some things that you have to pay for instead of doing them yourself.

Minor correction

I'd stated previously that out of the 100 gladiola I'd planted (minus the approximately 5 those damn tree rats got) I had the potential for a bloom off of only one.
Well, in doing my usual daily check of the gardens, I made the happy discovery of another glad that might be blooming. I say "might" only because when you plant 100 of something and only get 2 to bloom, it's better to err on the side of caution. (Additional note, the first one I found that should bloom shortly is going to be a rich purple color...I'll post a picture of it when it blooms)
That being said, the picture I have of the two sunflower seedlings is all that remains of them.
It seems that sunflower sprouts are apparently a delicacy with chipmunks. That being the case, one of those little ground rats nabbed both the sprouts.
So I'm back to the drawing board with them, although I do have one growing in a pot about 3 feet off the ground, and a couple more hopefully safely hidden in the side yard garden.
I had signed on with the Sunflower Project to monitor bee activity in my area, and they sent a number of sunflower seeds also. Now I understand why I didn't get a single sprout off those.
Apparently I've been running something of a buffet for rodents and they've been having a field day.
Only time will tell about the side yard though - I've been carefully monitoring, and as of today they're still there. I won't make any guarantee about tomorrow though.
I won't be transplanting the one in the pot into the yard until it's beyond anything a chipmunk or squirrel or any other rodent can nip off.
Blessed Litha, little darling!

Front yard garden pics

Trumpet lilies, from the front gardens. Last year,
when I planted them, there was only one flower stalk on each plant. Now, each has at least two, and in some cases three.

Dwarf cannas, from the front garden. The gladiola in the back is the only one out of a hundred bulbs planted that is giving any indication of producing flowers this year.

In between the dwarf cannas, (there are 6 total) I have a couple of variety of hosta and some gladiolas. The glads are a big dissapointment, to be honest with you. As I said, I've only got the potential for a bloom off one plant so far out of a hundred bulbs. I'll be experimenting with other plants next spring, I assure you.

The full size canna I planted in the front are still establishing, so there's nothing to show off there. I did want to show off the beginnings of the blooms from the dwarf canna though.